The XR250R is a trail bike used for on- and off-road purposes. It is a four-stroke, SOHC, 249cc single cylinder 4 valve motorcycle. It has a 240 lb dry weight (96-04), and a 36 inch seat height (96-04). It generates around 19.6 peak hp and 14-15 lb feet of torque. The 1996-2004 versions of the XR250R had 10.6 inches of suspension travel front and rear and 41mm front cartridge forks. The tire size was 80/100-21 front and 100/100-18 rear. It had 13-48 tooth gearing and a stock top speed of around 66 mph at 8000 rpm. The XR250L was a heavier, street-legal version. The Latin American version of this bike, known as TORNADO, possesses a DOHC four-valve engine and gives out 23 horsepower.

Known for its reliability and ease of use, the XR250R was a popular and cost effective off road motorcycle for beginners through intermediate riders. It's smooth and predictable power delivery made it especially popular to novices of off road riding. Unlike the CRF230F, which effectively replaced the XR200R in Honda's lineup as an air cooled off road motorcycle, the XR250R has no air cooled predecessor, but was replaced by the CRF250X. While discontinued over a decade ago, many XR250R motorcycles are still in use today, a testament to their reliability.

The engines in both the XR250R and XL250L are identical. In the United States the L has a 3 mm smaller header pipe and a different carburetor to satisfy emissions regulations, though both carbs have a 30 mm throttle body. The engine has a four-valve head with splayed rocker arms to actuate the valves. Unusual for a single-cylinder engine, it has a two-into-one header pipe. Throughout its production, The R version is kickstart only, features a six-speed transmissions with chain final drive, and has stator ignition. For the pre-1996 models, the suspension travel was 260 mm front and rear. The XR250R is the enduro (competition) model; however, the L version is electric start, with pillion pegs, softer suspension and lower seat height. The changes between 1996 and 2004 consisted of decal updates, the mechanical parts being identical. The XR250R was discontinued after 2004.